Life After Hogwarts
by One Shot Gun Shot Loz
Summary: This is the follow-up to No Angels, so read that first or you won't know what the fudge is going on! Its just going to be a four-five chapter link, with more on the way soon. Last part of the story that will be written in first person.
1. Life After Hogwarts

A/N: This is the sequel to "No Angels", and seriously guys, this will make sod all sense to you if you haven't read that one. I hope you enjoy it, let me know! I love my reviewers!!!  
  
Disclaimer: Do I really need to repeat this again? Nothing is mine except a few original characters, but I assure you that I make no money or any sort of profit out of them. As I have said, JK Rowling may have them if she wants, so long as I get to play one of them in the film!!!!  
  
I am still writing from Rene's perspective, because it seemed the natural way. However, after this part of the story, the first person will mostly disappear. The rest of it belongs as narrative.  
  
  
  
The Governess of Azkaban-Part 1  
  
Life after Hogwarts  
  
Well, we all made it out of Hogwarts, which I found amazing. No one had got expelled, killed or seriously damaged along the way, or at least not so as it warranted their not completing their course. We came close, but just managed it. Onto a new life, a promising, happy life without the burdens of being teenaged magicians with rather serious attitudes. The burdens of being cast into the deep end of the real world enveloped us the moment we boarded the Hogwarts express, and that was when I knew that they probably would have been the best days of my life.  
  
First, I think I should tell you where everyone ended up. James and Lily became engaged 6 months out of Hogwarts, much to the dismay of pretty much everyone. James had more money than sense, so he decided not to work. It was a shame, really. For all his shortcomings (and there were many) he was bright. Very bright. He wasted his talent on a life of leisure, but I do not have time to lament his lack of motivation now.  
  
Sirius and Remus had bought themselves a flat, and from what I gather, did very little except drink, party and sleep. Sirius was to be a close friend and confident of mine, though I did not know it back then.  
  
Ed and Severus, however, had decided to take a very different and unknown path. They had applied to the ministry of magic to become unspeakables, though they had no idea what they were going to do. I advised them against it, but they were adamant. They got letters of reply very quickly, accepting them readily. They began work the next week, and were both very well paid for it too. No one was told what they did, except that they were unspeakables and even if you asked them you could be fined by the ministry. I personally had no interest, but little did I know that their jobs would become a large part of my life over the coming years.  
  
I myself spent two rather quiet years in Romania, as planned. I learnt how to govern our territory, how to be a lady, and, to be frank, allot of other boring things. I thought that I was doomed to a life of aristocratic tedium, and it was my destiny to be driven to distraction by manners, etiquette and Maramures. Until one sugarcoated November morning that I will never forget. 


	2. Letter From the Ministry

Letter From the Ministry  
  
  
  
I walked in from a *very* tiresome night out, and walked straight into what might have been described as a study. There was a musty feel to the room, and it was mostly furnished with elegant and imposing mahogany furniture. A crystal decanter lay on the desk atop a silver tray, with two glasses and a red liquid inside it. The most eye-catching thing, however, was the large portrait on the wall. It was close to 6 feet high and nearly 4 across, and was one of the only non-magical pictures in the house. It was of myself as a child of about 13, my father and my mother. It had been done from photographs, as my mother died giving birth to me, but it was a way for me to feel I knew her. On the bottom side of the mahogany frame was a bronze plate with the following inscription:  
  
"To Vada,  
  
Do not forget us, we will not forget you.  
  
Pyietek and Rene"  
  
I smiled up at her, the pale lady with sharp blue eyes and long brown hair, whose name I had left behind at Hogwarts. I now went by Bolovnik, for the ridicule of my contemporaries was no longer anything to fear. The wrath of such contemporaries cannot be incurred if you have none.  
  
I walked to the desk and poured myself a glass out of the decanter, but something on the desk caught my eye. A letter, with calligraphic scrawl in rather poor Romanian etched on to it. I placed my glass back down on the tray, and began to open it with the silver envelope-opener always kept in the top drawer of the desk. As I pulled the parchment inside out, I noticed on the envelope the mark of the British Ministry of Magic. Intrigued and worried, I read the letter.  
  
"Dear Miss Bolovnik,  
  
I do hope you and your father are well; give him my regards.  
  
As you know, The British Ministry of Magic is responsible for the running and maintaining of Azkaban Prison. We are also in charge of taking the dementors to hand, and they are primarily dark creatures, so we have decided that it is best for us to appoint a Governor/Governess of Azkaban.  
  
I am well aware that you have commitments in Romania, and that you will one day succeed your father and become countess of Maramures, though I cannot help but think this will not be for a long time. You are the most qualified person that is suitable for such a job, and I would be beyond grateful to you.  
  
Apologies for my Romanian, but it was never my forte. I thought that the letter should be in English, or it would have been completely undefinable. Please contact me as soon as you can with an answer, and then you can come over so we can discus the terms of your employment.  
  
Yours Sincerely  
  
Cornelius Fudge  
  
British Minister For Magic"  
  
I dropped the parchment, and leaned back into the large, ebony leather chair, my hand coming to my chin as I stared on and out of the door. This was a mixed blessing indeed. On the one hand, it was a blessed escape from the life I was born to lead in Romania, but was not yet ready for. On the other hand, it meant leaving my father and probably living in Azkaban, where I would have to watch people go mad, and perhaps even sentence them to a living death by dementor's kiss. But then again, what a change to life, and I would be supporting myself, not relying on my father (something I had been feeling guilty for for quite some time).  
  
After an eternity of fathomless indecision, I reasoned that there were people I was going to have to talk to about this, or at least, one person. Not my father as you might have thought, because the answer I would have got out of him would have been predictable even by Madam Trelawney (Or Professor, as I believe she is now). I stood up and slowly walked into the great entrance hall, where stood an imposing 6-foot hearth, burning energetically. The winter months were always bitter, and the summer months white hot.  
  
I reached to a pot on the mantelpiece, and threw some floo powder into the fire.  
  
"Hogwarts Entrance Hall!" 


	3. A Return to Happiness

A Return to Happiness  
  
  
  
I arrived in the familiar entrance hall at what appeared to be lunchtime. There were very few students about, and there was a delicious smell wafting from the Great hall. I decided, as the man I wanted to see was probably eating lunch, I would take a wander out into the grounds for a while. Careful to raise my hood and don some light gloves, I began out of the doors and down to the side of the lake.  
  
It was very frosty, and the grass crunched underfoot. There was a wafer- thin layer of ice gracing the top of the lake, and a large figure had his back to me, apparently breaking this layer for the benefit of the giant Squid.  
  
"Hagrid?"  
  
"Huh?" he spun around, a little suprised to hear my voice, which had gone back to its old ways and was strongly tinted with Romanian pronunciations.  
  
"Rene! It's nice ter see yeh! How've yeh been?"  
  
"I have been fine Hagrid. And yourself?" I cringed at my impeccable aristocratic tones.  
  
"Great! Yeh, life's not so funny wi'out Fates and Marauders runnin' round causin 'avoc, but 'ogwarts is still the best place ter be! Tell me, what yeh doin' here anyway?"  
  
"I've actually come to talk with Dumbledore. I received a letter from The Ministry this evening...well, it would have been this morning here, and I need his help. They have offered me a job."  
  
"Really? An' yeh're not gonna take it? They seldom offer people jobs righ' off, yeh know."  
  
"I know that, Hagrid, and in a way I am very flattered that they wrote to me," I sighed. "But it may not be the most pleasant of jobs, and I want to know I'm doing the right thing by accepting it or turning it down before I give Fudge an answer."  
  
He looked a little puzzled, and then opened his mouth to speak, but shut it again as he thought better of it.  
  
"Are you wondering what this job is?"  
  
He looked shifty and a little embarrassed.  
  
"Well, yeah, but not to worry. I know the Min'stry has a lo' confidential stuff us normal folk ain't to know 'bout. It's alrigh', really. I'll just haf to take yeh word tha' its a difficult choice!" he smiled down at me again, though he looked disappointed that he wasn't going to find out.  
  
"Well, I can tell you, so long as you promise to keep it quiet. I've not been told I can't tell anyone, but by the same token I haven't been told I can tell anyone." He nodded energetically, his interest evident. "They have decided that it's time to employ someone to keep charge of Azkaban, of both the prisoners and the dementors, and I've been offered the job."  
  
He looked horrified.  
  
"How can yeh even think of it? Yeh'll never be happy agen!"  
  
"No Hagrid, that's why they've offered me the job. I'm not affected by the Dementors like pure-bred humans are. I'm barely affected at all, and pure- bred vampires feel nothing in their presence. No one knows why, but that's just the way it is. It would be a pretty morbid and gloomy job, I know, but it's morbid and gloomy in Romania at the moment as well. I think the change of scene will do me good."  
  
He looked dubious, but smiled again.  
  
"Well, I've got ter get back to sortin' out this lake, but thanks a lo' for poppin' out ter see me. Best o' luck, whatever yeh decide!"  
  
"Thank you Hagrid, I hope I see you again soon!" He waved as I walked back up to the castle, then turning to continue freeing the squid. I marched up the steps and into the entrance hall, where it was now change over time. After saying brief hellos to old teachers and a rather lengthy but enjoyable chat with Professor Sambora, I made my way to Dumbledore's office. The walls of the old castle echoed a thousand memories, each connected to a thousand past hopes and dreams. More than once I took a wrong turn on my way to the gargoyle that guarded the entrance, following my heart not my mind. 


	4. Dumbledore

A/N: Sorry about all the confusion guys, but I hope the e-mail got out to most of you! This is the last but one chapter of the link, and then we shall depart from the first person narrative! On to more exciting matters!  
  
Will the people who keep e-mailing me (I will name no names) about a Rene/Severus thing stop mentioning it! Even if it were planned I would tell none but a few, and have you all forgotten Ed, may I ask? Rene is just not that kind of lady!!! I love to hear from you though, so do keep e-mailing!  
  
  
  
Dumbledore  
  
  
  
Professor Sambora had given me the password to Dumbledore's office, which I believe was something like 'Honeydukes'. I walked up the winding spiral staircase, and knocked on the door.  
  
"Come in, come in!"  
  
I popped my head around the door tentatively, to be greeted by Dumbledore's warm face and Fawkes sat on his shoulder.  
  
"Welcome back, Rene! I have been wondering when I would be seeing you. Please excuse me one moment."  
  
He picked up a note on his desk, signed it with a flourish, and sent it off with Fawkes.  
  
"A note to your father. He was a little worried, but I told him I had a feeling you would be coming here." He beamed at me, like a grandfather does at the grandchild that is the apple of their eye. "Now, would you like some tea?"  
  
"Uh...I'll give it a miss, but thank you for offering." I remembered the purple tea.  
  
"That's quite alright. Now, I take it you have come about the letter from the Ministry? Cornelius told me that he was offering you the job."  
  
"Well, yes, I am." I sat down in the big arm chair opposite him, and began to think of how to put it. "It's a great offer, and you must think that I am mad not to have accepted it the moment I was offered it, but..."  
  
He held a hand up to silence me  
  
"I know exactly what you mean, and I certainly do not think you mad. Quite the opposite, in fact. It would have been foolish to accept or decline without thinking it through carefully." He sipped his tea, and then placed it down on the desk. He steepled his fingers under his chin in thought for a minute or two, and then spoke again. "I think that Cornelius has been very wise in offering you the job, my dear, but I do not know if you would be wise in taking it; that is for you to decide. May I suggest a trial period? A month, say, so you can see if it is what you would like to do. I would usually refer you to someone who has been in the same position before, but as you know," He said with a chuckle "There are not many people who have been seen fit to take care of Azkaban."  
  
When he said it, I was baffled as to why I hadn't thought of it before. It was the perfect solution, if only Cornelius Fudge would agree to it. I could see if it was the life I was meant to lead, or if I was just doomed to be brought up as an aristocrat born to lead a corner of Romania. It did also strike me as a little peculiar that it had taken Dumbledore the minutes to come up with the idea, but I'm damned if I know what goes on in his head.  
  
"Yes, thank you Professor. Do you think Mr Fudge will agree to it?"  
  
"Well, I think he will beg you just to take the job for a time, but yes. Eventually he will agree. He is desperate for someone to take the Dementors to hand, you see. Now, I'm sorry to say this, but I have some business with Professor Binns. Many apologies, but it was nice to talk to you. I do hope you do well, Rene." He smiled warmly again.  
  
After a few closing gambits ("Give my regards to your father...") I left through the grate, just as Professor Binns came in through the door (he was still alive then). I stepped out and back into our study, and began to compose a letter to the Ministry... 


	5. More Letters

iDear Mr Fudge,  
  
  
  
I received your letter yesterday morning, and after carefully thinking through your proposal, I have decided to temporarily accept your offer. However, I have some points to make, because, as I am sure you will understand, Governing Azkaban will be a very different experience to any other I have had, and indeed that anyone else other than a Dementor would have had.  
  
I do not yet wish to commit to taking on the position permanently, though I would like to suggest a "trial period" of a month, where I will see if I can do the job. I would also like to meet with you to discuss some of the issues with the Dementors before or when I arrive at Azkaban.  
  
Thank you very much for giving me this opportunity  
  
Lady Rene Bolovnik  
  
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-  
  
2 Hours later  
  
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-  
  
  
  
Dear Lady Bolovnik  
  
I will send two ministry representatives to escort you to Azkaban in 3 days, at 1pm Your time. Send an owl if this is inconvenient or impractical, and I will do my best to make other arrangements. I will meet you at the gates of Azkaban when you arrive.  
  
Regards  
  
Cornelius Fudge  
  
Minister for Magici/ 


End file.
